Computers as Mindtools for Engaging Learners in Critical Thinking Written by: David Jonassen, Chad Carr, and Hsiu-Ping Yueh (1998)Summarized by: Allison Conrey, Pepper Erlinger, Amy Knaup-Noble, and Carl Lee
Instead of using technology to deliver information and tell you if you are "correct," why not use technology as a tool to construct your knowledge. The authors are no longer interested in learning from technology, but instead want to learn with technology. Let's find out how!
Semantic Organization Tools
Tools students may use to analyze and organize knowledge they know and are learning
Databases
WHAT IS A DATABASE?
Computerized record keeping system originally created to replace paper-based filing system
WHAT DOES A DATABASE DO?
Organizes information and/or records that allows for easy retrieval
Allows the user to search and sort information by content to answer specific questions or observe relationships
HOW IS A DATABASE USED TO SHOW UNDERSTANDING OF THE STUDENT'S KNOWLEDGE?
Requires users to to develop a data structure
Locate relevant information
Search and sort the database to answer questions posed by the teacher
Below is a database created by students studying cells and their functions in a Biology course (Notice how the information is sorted)
Semantic Networking
AS A TOOL:
A visual screen tool to produce a concept map
A concept map is a visual aid used to understand a concept. Students start with an idea/concept and make connections to other concepts by drawing relational links.
AS A PROGRAM:
Computer-based, visualizing tool
The image below represents a program used to create a multidimensional relationship of Light.
Every component was entered by an individual, therefore the semantic network below represents the working knowledge of this concept.
Dynamic Modeling Tools
Helps learner to describe dynamic relationships between ideas.
Includes spreadsheets, expert systems, system's modeling tools, and microworlds.
Spreadsheets
Designed to replace paper-based accounting systems.
Spreadsheets are made up of columns of empty "cells" which the user can fill in with meaningful values. For example, one may keep a record of their company's business transactions.
These cells can be manipulated using formulas.
Spreadsheets' main purpose is to serve accountants and businesses keep track of important figures such as income.
Spreadsheets as mindtools:
Can help to improve logical and mathematical thinking in the user.
Can help users to see relationships and procedures for using and finding values.
Flexible in finding quantitative relationships.
Support problem-solving skills and higher order reasoning.
Expert Systems
A computer program that simulates the way human experts solve problems.
Also known as an "artificial decision maker."
Problems that require decision making are the best candidates for an expert system.
Examples include: computers used to help geologists decide where to drill for oil and to help bankers evaluate loan applications
Expert systems are made of three main components:
Knowledge base
Inference engine
User interface
Expert systems as mindtools:
Causes user to refine content knowledge and supports problem solving skills.
Systems Modeling Tools
Allow students to interpret new information in a model
This allows students to solve complex problems
Example: Stella is a powerful and flexible tool for building simulations of dynamic systems and processes (systems with interactive and interdependent components). Stella uses a simple set of building block icons to construct a map of a process
Using modeling systems can allow students to engage in conceptual activities.
Within the model, values can be written as constants or variables.
Microworlds
Exploratory learning environments or discovery spaces, microworlds allow students to:
Navigate
Manipulate or create objects
Test an objects effects
Microworlds are active learning environments since users can explore functionality and help to create the world in which they are playing/learning.
Math and science are creating many new microworlds to help students learn difficult concepts.
An example is the SimCalc project, which allows students to investigate Calculus ideas such as speed and velocity.
Students can plot motion and how it relates to Calculus.
Information Interpretation Tools
Allows you to access and process information
Find relevant resources (search engines on the world-wide-web)
Scans information
Define the information found
Visualization Tools
Represent and convey mental images as rough approximations: making a connection from visual input to a visual output.
MacSpartan's molecule program
View
Rotate
Measure
Modify
Construct
Purpose: help students understand chemical compounds in a abstract environment rather than a static environment.
Manipulation
See atomic interactions
See bonds
Offers perspectives that allow flexibility that traditional textbooks do not have because the pictures in it are static and cannot be manipulated.
Tool for Visualizing Chemical Compounds.
Knowledge Construction Tools
Tools that embodies the process of knowledge from putting things together and building from it. Jonassen, Carr, and Yueh claim that when learners takes on the role of the designer of an object, they would learn more about the object compared to if they only studied it.
Hypermedia
Nodes: an information storage unit
Page of text
Graphic
Sound bite
Video clip
Entire document
Users can manipulate or change these nodes in hypermedia; interconnected through links
Carver, Lehrer, Connell, & Ericksen (1992): major thinking skills that learners need to use as designers
Project management
Research
Organization
Representation
Presentation
Reflection
Conversation Tools
Online Telecommunication
synchronous discussions
Chats
MOOs
MUDs
Video conferencing
asynchronous discussions
electronic mail
Listservs
bulletin boards
computer conferences
Allows for……
Interpersonal exchange
Collect information
Solve problems
Collaboratory Notebook
Scaffolding structure for conversation: only specific responses to messages are accepted
Provide evidence
Develop a Plan
Rationales for Using Technology as Mindtools
Mindtools are NOT made for making learning easier!
Learners as Designers
Who learns more from the data? The person which determines how to construct the database, or the client (learner) for whom the data is intended?
Those that design materials learn the most, not the learners for whom the materials are intended.
Mindtool learners are "active" meaning they participate and interact.
How you use a Mindtool will change depending on:
Our experiences.
Prior knowledge.
How we have organized those experiences into knowledge structures.
Our belief about what we know.
Each of our experiences is unique.
Mindtools guide learners by provding the organization and representation of what they know.
Learning With Technology
Goal of learning as an intellectual partnership with the computer.
Electronics specialists use their tools to solve problems. The tools do not control the specialist.
Computers should be used as tools that help learners to build knowledge. Computers do not control learning.
Computer as a tutor is effects of technology. Mindtools the effects with computer technology.
Example: Excel is a program, but add a learner and there is a possibility of enhance the capabilities of the computer, and the computer enhances their thinking and learning.
The result of an intellectual partnership with the computer is that the whole of learning becomes greater than the sum of its parts.
(Un)intelligent Tools
Mindtools are unintelligent - they require the learner to provide the intelligence.
Educational computer tools often:
try to do the thinking for learners.
to act like tutors.
try to guide the learning.
Mindtools require learners to participate in planning, decision-making, and self-regulation of learning. Computer systems can facilitate these skills if used in ways that promote reflection, discussion, and problem solving.
Distributing Cognitive Processing
When computers are partners with learners, some of the unproductive memorizing tasks are deligated to the computer, allowing the learner to think more productively.
Goal: allocate the cognitive responsibility to the learners (what they do best) and allocate processing to the technology (what it does best). Unlike computers, people can judge and make decisions. Unlike people, computers memorize and recall with far greater speed and accuracy than humans.
Cost and Effort Beneficial
Mindtools are personal knowledge construction tools that can be applied to any subject matter domain. Mindtools software is:
Readily available and affordable.
Free applications in the public domain.
Reasonably easy to learn.
A minimal level of skill requires limited study (couple of hours).
Because they can be used to construct knowledge in nearly any course, the cost and learning effort are even more reasonable!
Summary
Computers can be "Cognitive Amplification Tools" to reflect what students have learned and what they know.
There are alternatives to computer technologies that are only used to disseminate information (think: traditional lectures).
Mindtools used across all subject domains are tools for engaging learners in reflective, critical thinking about the ideas they are studying.
Written by: David Jonassen, Chad Carr, and Hsiu-Ping Yueh (1998)Summarized by: Allison Conrey, Pepper Erlinger, Amy Knaup-Noble, and Carl Lee
Table of Contents
Introduction
Instead of using technology to deliver information and tell you if you are "correct," why not use technology as a tool to construct your knowledge. The authors are no longer interested in learning from technology, but instead want to learn with technology. Let's find out how!Semantic Organization Tools
Databases
Below is a database created by students studying cells and their functions in a Biology course (Notice how the information is sorted)
Semantic Networking
Dynamic Modeling Tools
Spreadsheets
Expert Systems
Systems Modeling Tools
Microworlds
Information Interpretation Tools
Allows you to access and process informationVisualization Tools
Represent and convey mental images as rough approximations: making a connection from visual input to a visual output.Knowledge Construction Tools
Tools that embodies the process of knowledge from putting things together and building from it. Jonassen, Carr, and Yueh claim that when learners takes on the role of the designer of an object, they would learn more about the object compared to if they only studied it.Hypermedia
Conversation Tools
Rationales for Using Technology as Mindtools
Mindtools are NOT made for making learning easier!
Learners as Designers
Those that design materials learn the most, not the learners for whom the materials are intended.
Knowledge Construction, Not Reproduction
Mindtool learners are "active" meaning they participate and interact.
How you use a Mindtool will change depending on:
Mindtools guide learners by provding the organization and representation of what they know.
Learning With Technology
Goal of learning as an intellectual partnership with the computer.
Electronics specialists use their tools to solve problems.
The tools do not control the specialist.
Computers should be used as tools that help learners to build knowledge.
Computers do not control learning.
Computer as a tutor is effects of technology.
Mindtools the effects with computer technology.
Example: Excel is a program, but add a learner and there is a possibility of enhance the capabilities of the
computer, and the computer enhances their thinking and learning.
The result of an intellectual partnership with the computer is that the whole of learning becomes greater than the sum of its parts.
(Un)intelligent Tools
Mindtools are unintelligent - they require the learner to provide the intelligence.
Educational computer tools often:
Mindtools require learners to participate in planning, decision-making, and self-regulation of learning.
Computer systems can facilitate these skills if used in ways that promote reflection, discussion, and problem solving.
Distributing Cognitive Processing
When computers are partners with learners, some of the unproductive memorizing tasks are deligated to the computer, allowing the learner to think more productively.
Goal: allocate the cognitive responsibility to the learners (what they do best) and allocate processing to the technology (what it does best).
Unlike computers, people can judge and make decisions. Unlike people, computers memorize and recall with far greater speed and accuracy than humans.
Cost and Effort Beneficial
Mindtools are personal knowledge construction tools that can be applied to any subject matter domain.
Mindtools software is:
Because they can be used to construct knowledge in nearly any course, the cost and learning effort are even more reasonable!
Summary
Computers can be "Cognitive Amplification Tools" to reflect what students have learned and what they know.
There are alternatives to computer technologies that are only used to disseminate information (think: traditional lectures).
Mindtools used across all subject domains are tools for engaging learners in reflective, critical thinking about the ideas they are studying.
Mindtools Summary Questions
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/embeddedform?formkey=dFRrU0w0eU95SDkzMkt6X0luUmRhV2c6MQMore Information on DAVID JONASSEN, Distinguished Professor of Education
Citations:
Jonassen, D.H., Carr, C., & Yueh, H. (1998). Computers as mindtools for engaging learners in critical thinking. TechTrends, 43(2), 24-32.Roth, L. (2006). Interview with David H. Jonassen. SyndicateMizzou. Retrieved from
http://syndicate.missouri.edu/articles/show/42